The malaise which has held Spurs in its damp grip all season was best articulated by their misfit winger David Bentley here last night. "It's been shocking. It's been a bit shit. It has been a bad start to the season, especially for me," he said. "We have not been together, we have not known where we are running or what we have been doing. I wasn't enjoying it."

The only thing prepared about Tottenham this season has been their statements from the chairman, Daniel Levy, but Bentley's comments come closer than anyone's to identifying the shambles of their league campaign, which has now reached crisis point with no wins in eight matches.

Ledley King, Spurs' outstanding but brittle defender and so key to his side's fortunes, trained in the Stadio Friuli here last night but there is a familiar question mark against his chances of playing in tonight's Uefa Cup tie against Udinese, who are second in Serie A.

The decision to play or not play King will reveal more than the condition of the player's knee. It will also indicate whether the manager, Juande Ramos, considers the Uefa Cup more important than their future in the Premier League, where they are bottom of the table with two points. Spurs play at home to Bolton on Sunday before fixtures against Arsenal and Liverpool that could be decisive.

"We will have to wait and see," Ramos said last night. We will make a decision in the morning." Spurs have lost four and drawn one of the five games King has missed this season and Ramos is ruefully aware of the truth of his predecessor Martin Jol's observation: "It's simple - Tottenham are twice as good when he plays."

He was expected to play in the game against Stoke on Sunday but the fact that he didn't suggested that Ramos was saving him for Udinese and the manager did say last night: "This is the most important game. What happens if we lose this game?" The atmosphere in the squad, he said, would be even worse. But after Sunday the league position is desperate.

Roman Pavlyuchenko and Vedran Corluka are cup-tied tonight while the injured Tom Huddlestone did not make the trip.

News of Spurs' plight is spreading. The Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale was asked last night how many Spurs players would get into the home side's line-up he couldn't think of anybody. "I would want to keep playing with the players that we have got," he said.

Little wonder. Ramos is under fire and his lack of consistent decision making has been a factor in Spurs' problems. But he can hardly be blamed for the clumsy sacking of Jol or the appointment of the sporting director, Damien Comolli, whose position gets more fragile by the hour. If it is any consolation for Tottenham Venice, which is just up the road, has been shipping water a lot longer than they have and the place is still afloat.

Michael Dawson, meanwhile, has denied a charge of improper conduct and requested a personal FA hearing. The Tottenham defender was charged on Tuesday and could face an increased ban. Dawson was dismissed in stoppage-time of the defeat by Stoke on Sunday and the charge relates to how he reacted when referee Lee Mason showed the red card. An FA commission will hear the case today.

Spurs hope to give their supporters some good news by confirming the move to a new 55,000-seat stadium on the trading estate that is adjacent to White Hart Lane. Levy and his directors have identified the Wingate estate, immediately to the north of the current site, as the preferred option but progress has been held up by the global financial downturn.